Precious Days
by daima ashiki
Summary: HL. With the stresses of the war mounting, Luna is able to take Harry’s mind off of his anxieties and help him enjoy their time together.


_Summary_: H/L. With the stresses of the war mounting, Luna is able to take Harry's mind off of his anxieties and help him enjoy their time together.

Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood were sitting against a rather large tree close to the lake outside of Hogwarts on a warm Saturday evening in early June. Harry was now in his seventh year and would be graduating next month. As graduation drew nearer, Harry's fears and anxieties grew. After next month, he could no longer rely on the walls of Hogwarts to keep him safe. Not that he was there much anyway. Sometimes he, Ron, and Hermione would be gone for up to a week at a time looking for the lost horcruxes. By the end of October, they couldn't even be considered real students anymore. With all of their planning, strategizing, and search missions, they hadn't had much time at all for school. They were excused from most of their lessons, and after awhile people stopped expecting them to show up anywhere. Despite this, they were still being allowed to graduate. McGonagall, as the new Headmistress, had decided that their work in the field, and what they were learning during training, was, at the very least, equal to what the students were learning in their classrooms. For this the trio was very grateful, especially Hermione.

Through everything, Ron and Hermione stood loyally by his side. Even after all these years, through all the heartache and struggle, they had never left him. Whenever he needed someone to talk to, they were always there. Harry couldn't have made it through this year without them, in more ways than one. However, there was also someone else whom Harry quite often found that he needed. When things seemed too out of control or too much for him to handle, sometimes the love from Ron and Hermione just wasn't enough. They were his best friends; no one would deny that, but sometimes the only person who could calm his heart and mind was Luna Lovegood.

She really had been a surprise in every way. He'd met her in his fifth year, and once you've met Luna Lovegood you can never really forget her. He'd realized, sometime after the fact, that the turning point in his feelings for her had come shortly after Sirius had died. It was such a horrible time for him. He had been constantly uncomfortable wherever he was or whoever he was with. He had blown up at Dumbledore, and his office, and wasn't able to even think about talking to Ron or Hermione about Sirius without the threat of tears and the need to run and just keep going.

And then one day, the day before he was to return to the personal hell that was Privet Drive, he had, by chance, happened to see Luna in one of the corridors. She was posting a list of stolen items up on a notice board. He didn't quite understand what happened between them at the time, but somehow, without even trying, Luna had put him completely at ease. He could breathe again.

From that day on, whenever they were together, Harry always felt comforted by her. He'd spent a good amount of time trying to figure out what it was about her that made him feel so good to be with her. He finally decided that trying to figure out the inner workings of Luna Lovegood was a bit of a fool's errand and conceded to simply enjoy her presence.

The more time they spent together, the more he came to cherish her company. She seemed to have a special kind of magic that only he could feel. Ron and Hermione had definitely warmed up to her during their sixth year, and came to be quite fond of her, but Harry felt that although they spoke with her amicably and had welcomed her as a friend, they still didn't see the Luna Lovegood that he saw.

It didn't take Harry very long to fall in love with her. Luckily, she had fallen in love with him as well. They had officially started dating about half-way through Harry's sixth year. Things between them had always been good, but the closer they got and the more bonded they felt to each other, the bigger the threat became that Voldemort would take that all away. Harry had had a lot of time to think about his own mortality. He knew it was possible that this war would kill him. He hated the thought, but he'd had to face it nearly everyday of his life for the past seven years. He'd accepted that he couldn't protect everyone around him, no matter how long or how hard he tried, and he knew that it was their love for him that kept his friends fighting for him and that no amount of "no, you can't come!" was going to change that.

And so today, as Harry and Luna enjoyed their view of the lake from under the shade of a tree, Harry found his mind wandering. He and Luna had taken out a large bowl of grapes that Harry had persuaded Dobby to allow him to take from the kitchen. They were all eaten now, as the pair had spent most of the afternoon talking and kissing under the sun. They held hands now, and were both transfixed, staring out over the lake and watching the sun set behind the mountains.

Harry had had a question brooding around his mind for nearly a week now, and though it would probably ruin the peaceful moment, he felt it being drawn out of him. Still looking out over the lake, he asked it. "Luna, what would you do if I don't survive this war?"

She turned her head to look at him and was silent before she looked back and took a deep breath before calmly answering, "I would fall in love with Draco Malfoy and have about a dozen of his children."

"What?" That certainly had gotten his attention. He shifted to face her, a shocked look on his face.

"You won't loose Harry, so don't worry about it," she answered him, acting as if there was nothing to be getting upset over.

Harry moved again to sit with his legs under him, still not understanding what was going on. "You would marry _Malfoy_?"

"I didn't say I would marry him.

"So what? You're going to have his love children?"

"Well, I would have to, wouldn't I?" To this, Harry gave her an incredulous look. "Do you really think his family would welcome me in as a Malfoy?"

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"No, not really," Luna replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Draco and I are in love, so it really doesn't matter what his family thinks."

"But you're not in love with Malfoy!"

"And you're not dead! It's a win-win situation."

Harry took a moment to consider what to say next. Conversations with Luna could be a bit off the wall sometimes, and this one wasn't turning out to be any different. After taking a second to calm himself down a bit, he asked slowly, "would you rather be with Malfoy than with me?"

"No," said Luna, as if this should have been obvious.

"But if I die, he's your second choice?"

Luna stared at him intently for a moment before answering, "Draco and I have very similar hair. I think it would look nice in pictures."

"That's your reason?" said Harry, getting louder again.

"I like your hair too Harry," she replied in a comforting tone.

"Luna…"

"It always looks like you've just had the shag of your life."

Oh, that sounded good. "Really?"

"Yes. Sometimes I wonder if people are assuming things about us, with you looking like that all the time."

"Luna, I don't think they…"

"I don't really mind though, because I think it looks sexy," she grinned.

"You do?" Harry was smiling now too.

"Of course. It makes me think sexy thoughts about you. I enjoy that."

Harry's eyes suddenly felt like they'd grown three times bigger. "You think about sex…and me…and us…together?"

"Of course. Don't you?" she asked in a slightly worried voice.

"YES!" he shouted back.

"Harry, there's no need to shout, I'm sitting right here."

"So, Luna…are you saying…that you're ready to sleep together?" Harry asked her, feeling jumpy and nervous at the same time.

"No. I was just commenting on you hair. I think you may have been in the sun too long today, Harry," she frowned slightly. "You're over heated." She brushed her hand over his forehead, moving his hair away from his face.

Harry slumped his shoulders and started pulling at the grass. "Maybe a cold shower would do some good."

"Alright, I'll join you."

"……" Harry had managed to have forgotten every word he'd ever known.

"Just kidding," Luna said sweetly and started laughing again.

"Merlin, Luna. Stop teasing me," however this only made Luna laugh even more.

"That wasn't a tease, it was a joke."

"It was a tease," Harry argued back.

"Harry, if you had seen the way your eyes bugged out of your head, you would agree that it was a joke."

"You're crazy," he said, slightly agitated.

Luna reached out and took his hand and looked at him with her big, innocent eyes. Smiling sweetly, she said, "I know. But that's why you love me."

At this, Harry couldn't help but grin, knowing she was right. It was exactly all those things that made her Luna that he enjoyed about her most. He valued her difference from any other person he had met. Above all, she was honest, loyal, and incredibly caring. And really, when you add all that up, it didn't matter that she believed in things like crumple-horned snorkacks and wore earrings resembling various kinds of vegetables.

Harry lifted his hand to gently stroke his fingers across her cheek, then moved his hand to the side of her neck to pull her in for a soft kiss. They smiled at each other, and pulled together again for a hug, Luna's head nestled on Harry's shoulder. After a minute or so, they parted and began to make their way back to the castle, Harry's arm resting lovingly across Luna's shoulders.

"Harry, I really hope Voldemort doesn't kill you, because honestly, I don't think Draco would be as understanding of my eccentricities as you are."

"Luna, come on…"

But Luna interrupted him by pushing his arm and turning for the castle, screaming, "Tag! Catch me in one minute, or I'm marrying Malfoy anyway!"

Well he couldn't have that, now could he? Shaking his head slightly, but unable to hide his grin, he chased after her. "I'm gonna get you, Luna!" he called playfully to her, which made her give a delighted little scream. Both of them laughing, they raced into the castle. Luna turned to run up the staircase, Harry following her, and finally caught up to her on the landing. "Got 'cha!" he yelled, and grabbed her around the waist with both arms, lifting her slightly up off the ground. She screamed as he did this, and the couple laughed at their game and of being back in each others arms. Now facing each other, they easily melted into a loving kiss. Luna wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, and opened her mouth to him, feeling his tongue grace across hers. They loved being with each other like this. Feeling the love, friendship, and support from their partner filled them like nothing else could. They were happy together.

Harry pulled back, ending the kiss, and rested his forehead against Luna's. "You're mine. Not Malfoy's or anyone else's. I love you, Luna…and all the mad things about you that I don't always understand, but that I love anyway because they're a part of you."

Luna lifted her chin to look him in the eye. "Wow. That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

"That's the sweetest thing that I've ever said to anyone."

"I'm glad I'm not having Draco's love children anymore."

"Yeah, I'm glad too." The couple came together again as their lips met, and both could feel the other smiling. There was an innocent yet strong passion between them. They knew that their time together was precious. In every kiss was not only a hit of today, but of tomorrow. Completely wrapped in one another, they didn't hear the footsteps near the bottom of the stairs until the person spoke.

"Eck, Potter, give it a rest. Nobody wants to see that," Draco spoke out in disgust.

Harry turned to face Malfoy, but kept his arm around Luna's waist. He smirked and said, "You're loss, Malfoy. You were ten seconds away from a scandalous love affair with the lovely Miss. Luna Lovegood, twelve illegitimate children, very angry parents, and fabulous press coverage from the Daily Prophet.

Harry and Luna laughed and Draco managed to be both confused and angry, shouting, "what the bloody hell are you talking about Scarhead?"

Harry pulled Luna even closer before adding, "oh, but don't worry. You would have had a _lovely_ family portrait."

The two burst into a fit of laughter, while all Draco could do was stare up at them dumbfounded. Leaving him without another word, they made their way up the next set of stairs, arms wrapped around each other, one, because the enjoyed the contact, and two, because it was hard to walk up stairs unaided when you were doubled over with laughter. As they made it to the top of the stairs, the may have heard, "bloody Golden Boy and his loony girlfriend," but neither was really paying attention to Malfoy anymore.

Straightening up as the laughter faded away, Luna turned to Harry and said, "that was brilliant! You're really getting the hang of this, Harry."

"Thank you, baby. I learn from the best."

Harry gave her a quick yet heartfelt kiss, but as he looked at her again she had a mischievous look in her eyes. "I'll race you to the Gryffindor common room..."

And she took off down the corridor at top speed. Harry soon ran after her, but said, "hey, you cheated! Whatever happened to "3,2,1,Go!"?"

Luna laughed as she sped around the corner, saying, "since when do I play by the rules?"

When she's right, she's right, Harry thought. "I'm catching up!"

"I bet you a million galleons I beat you, Potter!" she added, having run up a staircase and jumped off just as it was changing position, forcing Harry to go around.

"Oh, you're _on_, blondie!"

And so the day passed, and every moment Harry and Luna spent together was full of fun and more than a few laughs. Not every day could be as wonderful as this one turned out to be, but there would be more days like it, and more that were even better. And through them all, Harry and Luna loved each other.


End file.
